Matty Collector

[FFN]

Kup put a question to me at the Parra Fair - how come Mattel has Matty Collector and Hasbro doesn't? (paraphrasing)

Kup seemed to assert to me that it didn't matter if Mattel wasn't doing as well business-wise as Hasbro, because Mattel was being daring in taking a risk with Matty Collector's direct-to-market model rather than Hasbro playing it safe and depending on traditional retail channels.

As far as I can tell, Matty Collector is where toys that Mattel couldn't find an audience for in the mass market (or didn't think there would be one) end up. Mattel doesn't do Matty Collector because they want to, or because they like you, but probably because needed to get something out of these molds and licenses that they have paid for. Plus, these are relatively small, simple toys in comparison to the stuff Hasbro might be unable to sell due to various factors that we the laymen may not know or even comprehend even if we did.*

Also, according to my North American friends, nobody likes Matty Collector, and it's not something to be admired in the wish that Hasbro would follow suit.


*This conversation was brought up because I mentioned Hasbro stating back in 2005? or so that the GI Joe USS Flagg would cost $300 (or more) for Hasbro to simply break even. I should point out that Hasbro was using the $300 example IF the Flagg were sold via regular retail channels. A Matty Collector-style low production run would be even more expensive. Can anybody guarantee a market for this?

[Robzy]

I've actually discussed this with many people over the past couple of years (some of them even work for Hasbro). It's been a point of debate for some time among fans of collectible action figures.

Personally, I think it comes down to the fact that Hasbro just aren't a company that's known for taking risks... and having an online-only collector's line for adults available for only (often) one day per month, is too much of a damn risk. Of course, Mattel are known for blazing the trail somewhat, and while they certainly haven't got it 100% right yet and there are MANY issues that need to be addressed, I commend them for taking the chance.

It also helps that many of Matty's lines (at least 4 that I can think of right off the top of my head) have Brand Managers who have "fan-boy" passion and commitment towards them. Hasbro doesn't seem to be the same. Take, for example, the constant repainting (read NOT re-tooling) of Bumblebee into Cliffjumper. Or the fact that (until recently) the name 'Wheeljack' was deemed to have too many negative connotations for it to be used for the name of a toy

I think Hasbro will eventually have some sort of online store for low-production, fan specific figures (probably more likely to be Star Wars first though), but not for a while... Not until they see how viable it's been for Matty. They're so slow to react because they fear taking risks... kinda like Hollywood.

Mattel doesn't do Matty Collector because they want to, or because they like you, but probably because needed to get something out of these molds and licenses that they have paid for.

Mattel didn't need to do MOTUC. In fact it was quite the opposite. The 4H did a sculpt of He-Man and the Execs at Mattel loved it so much they tested the water... and fans fell in love. Thus, a new line was created from that point. If the 4H hadn't just randomly designed a He-Man figure, we probably NEVER would have seen MOTU in action figure form again!

And fwiw... Most of the lines available on Matty have actually had some figures that were released at retail anyway (DCUC, Avatar, Ghostbusters, Dark Knight, Cars, etc...) Actually MOTUC is the odd one out.

Also, according to my North American friends, nobody likes Matty Collector, and it's not something to be admired in the wish that Hasbro would follow suit.

And yet so many North American fans still keep coming on every month, buying the figures and helping them sell out anywhere under an hour!

[Gutsman Heavy]

With Transformers specifically I can see it getting anything more than a remold or redeco if such an online store existed. Due to the cost of engineering a TF it would never happen.

One can dream though. And yes, I'd expect Star Wars to take the lead.

[Sky Shadow]

And fwiw... Most of the lines available on Matty have actually had some figures that were released at retail anyway (DCUC, Avatar, Ghostbusters, Dark Knight, Cars, etc...) Actually MOTUC is the odd one out.

Although as Robzy knows (and it's probably slipped his mind because we don't get them here), MOTUC toys are released at retail as 2-packs with DC toys and sell very well indeed, particularly considering they're just recolours and repacks and missing some accessories.

[Robzy]

Although as Robzy knows (and it's probably slipped his mind because we don't get them here), MOTUC toys are released at retail as 2-packs with DC toys and sell very well indeed, particularly considering they're just recolours and repacks and missing some accessories.

Stoopid me It did slip my mind. Although they are selling them as 2-packs with DC. It would be nice to see how a select few (He-Man/Skeletor/etc) as stand alone figures sold. I think they'd do pretty well by themselves.

[kurdt_the_goat]

I don't really see how it's that big a risk, it's just a shopping website. Risky would have been releasing MOTUC to the retail stores in the beginning.

Hasbro already has Hasbro Toy Shop, and if it wanted to, could easily release an online-only item or entire line. The difference is Hasbro *has* a market in retail as it is with all their main toy lines, and a focus on the kids means they don't have to cater to a small collectors market alone.

The only real candidates would be Masterpiece, the more obscure G1 reissues and high-end stuff like Alternity/Binaltech/Device Label etc. But, it'd really just be them doing something nice for the fans, i doubt there'd be much money in it, which is probably why they don't bother.

I think there were rumors pointing to a more widespread MOTUC retail release now that it's established and successful with the core fans. That is always gonna be Mattel's goal; they're making pennies now compared to what they could make with a successful mass-market release.

[Sky Shadow]

I think there were rumors pointing to a more widespread MOTUC retail release now that it's established and successful with the core fans. That is always gonna be Mattel's goal; they're making pennies now compared to what they could make with a successful mass-market release.

That's not necessarily true, though - if Walmart really does dictate the price points for Transformers, then it's unlikely that they would 'allow' a $20US 6-inch action figure line in mass-market numbers. They'd most likely be pegwarmers, and would need all sorts of other media before the toys would sell sufficiently outside a collectors' market and limited exclusives like the MOTUC/DC 2-packs.

[kurdt_the_goat]

Yeah i think that's a hurdle of course - most likely they'd have to price them below what they sell for on Matty... but then reduce the price on Matty to the new retail price as well.

Manufacturing in bigger numbers and selling more with less margin would still make it profitable (i think!)

[kup]

I think Hasbro will eventually have some sort of online store for low-production, fan specific figures (probably more likely to be Star Wars first though), but not for a while... Not until they see how viable it's been for Matty. They're so slow to react because they fear taking risks... kinda like Hollywood.

That is exactly what I put forth to FFN when having that chat. Everything you said is pretty much spot on to what I said on my side of the discussion.

The only reason Hasbro doesn't have a Collector exclusive line outside of retail, is because they don't want to take the risk - That's it.

Hasbro may be a larger toy company than Mattel but the latter is still within the same league and it's not as if they are struggling. Mattycollector.com was probably as risky to Mattel as it would have been for Hasbro it's just that the former is not afraid to take that risk. Despite people whining about the handling of the matty website (that includes me) we still come back for more and the toys sell out within the hour because there is indeed a market for collector toys which Hasbro largely neglects.

Mattel is now barely tapping into that Market and it has turned out be be very profitable given the announced longevity of the MOTUC line. The 3rd party Transformer companies are seriously exploiting it because they have discovered it to be a largely profitable market largely neglected by the large toy giants.

[GoktimusPrime]

The only reason Hasbro doesn't have a Collector exclusive line outside of retail, is because they don't want to take the risk - That's it.

Is anyone surprised by this?

Even when TakaraTOMY produces collector-exclusive lines, Hasbro either doesn't touch them, or they modify them so that they can be targeted at kids.

e.g.

+ G1 reissues. Since TakaraTOMY's reissues are marketed at mature collectors, they're exempt from child safety laws, and thus they can have super-strong missile launchers and regular sized missiles. Hasbro insists on marketing G1 reissues at children who never grew up with G1 and thus we have things like neutered launchers or stupid looking over-lengthened missiles etc. RRP was also really overpriced.

+ Alternators. Whereas Binaltech have die-cast metal parts and beautiful paint apps and details, Alternators are entirely plastic and don't look anywhere near as nice. Alternator Smokescreen seriously looks like a KO of BT Smokescreen. RRP was also a rip-off.

+ Masterpiece Optimus Prime: smoke stacks shortened for child safety (even though they self-collapse anyway *shrug*)

+ Alternity, Sport Label, Device Label -- all collector-focused lines which Hasbro won't touch. I've heard rumours about them considering Device Label, but not sure if that's been confirmed...

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<puts on Devil's Advocate hat>

It could also be pointed out despite Takara's greater focus on collectors and Hasbro's lesser focus on collectors, Hasbro has enjoyed greater corporate/financial success (although being "Toy Microsoft" helps). We know that about 10-11 years ago Takara began experiencing considerable financial difficulty and was considering declaring themselves bankrupt.

But the fact is that in 2006, Takara merged with former-rival company TOMY. Because Takara had been experiencing financial woes for 6 years before the merger, a lot of people (including some people in the media) assumed that it was a takeover of Takara by TOMY, but Takara actually had significantly higher sales than TOMY between 2003-06, and apparently both companies had discussed merging for quite some time, long before it actually occurred.

So one could argue that Hasbro has survived with their conservative "keep it for kids" attitude, whereas Takara experienced hardships with their riskier "let's appeal to collectors" initiatives.

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